Detachable heel lift



P 4 B. H. WALKER DETACHABLE HEEL LIFT Filed March 4, 1944 INVENTOR.BEEQAMIN \LWALKER PauJ ATM A TTORNE).

Patented Sept; 25, 1945 \DETACHA'BLE HEEL LIFT Benjamin Walker, PortRichmond, Staten Island, N. Y.

Application March 4, 1944, SerialNo. 525,015

14 Claims.

My invention relates to de'tachablelifts for the heels of shoes andparticularly to an'easy, simple means for unlocking and replacing thelift with another. Amongthe purposes and objects of my invention ,are toprovide:

.A detachable lift with a detent releasing slot.

An unlocking slot for lifts which is not easily plugged with dirt andwhich is in .the lift or removable part rather than in the stationarpart.

An unlocking slot in which no working parts are contained and which maybe obstructed from movement by .dirt.

A lift forshe heels which may be replaced by another by the user sothat'the lift may be discarded when worn or replaced with one bettersuited to the condition of the ground or floor on which it is used, suchfor instance, from leather to rubber, or to one having spikes to preventslipping on ice.

An interchangeable lift which may be quickly removed by the wearer 'atlow cost and Without skill'or tools.

A detachable lift which may be made of plastics. I

I'accomp'lish these and other objects by the construction hereinafterdescribed .and shown in the drawing forming :a part hereof in which:

Fig. l is aside view showing the application of 'my' device.

Fig; 2 is a bottom viewofthe 'fixed member.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the replaceable member.

Fig. 4 is a section at 4-4, Fig. 14.

Fig. 5 is a sectionat55,Fig. '14.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionshowing a modified detent.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the spring.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the detent.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the fixed member.

Fig.'l0 is an elevation of the detachable member.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the cover.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of-a modified fixed member.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the detent operator.

Fig. 14 is'a bottomview of my device.

Fig. 15 is an elevation of a modified cover.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughouttheseveral views of the drawing and in the specifications to follow.

General description Numerous detachable shoe heel lifts have beendisclosed having locking means, but their construction generally is:such that mud, dirt, and water render their operation impractical anddefeats the purpose of making hem removable, after a short period ofuse, impossible without damaging the fixed parts to which the new..1iftmust beattachedrand locked imposition.

By the construction of mydevice, a'new lift may be substituted for anold .one .or maybe temporarily changed for anotherfor some specialpurpose, such as to prevent slipping on .ice,r.'for sports .wear, etc.

While I havesshown, for thepurposeof .illus tration, a lift suitable forvwomenslhigh heels, obviously, my device may be used for menisshoeheels, for low heels, .or for any ty fi and :Sl of heels, such as forarmyshoes and for shoes suitable vfor heavy, rough wear; withoutdeparting from the principles underlyin my invention. It is expectedthat aftera study of this disclosure by those skilled in the art towhich it pertains, modifications may bemade within the scop of myinvention .a set forth in the claims which followmy detailedspecifications; thetpurpose of which is to makem invention more easilyunderstood rather than to..limit thescope ofm'y patent. 1

Detailed specification Referring to the drawing, Ihave shown a shoe heelI to which the fixed member 2 is'secured. The replaceable member 3' isprovided with "a recess 4 having overlying marginal edges "'5 'on threeof the four sides. of the "recess and open on the fourth or front sidetopermit the member 3 to be placed over the projection 6 of the memher .2which is provided with mating-overhanging companion marginal edges 1 onthree sides and having the fourth or front side 8 suitable to conform toandbecome ,flush with the front/sided of the member 3 when in, plac.c.

At about the center of the member 2 and suitable to permit freemovement'therein of the'lo'ck ing dowel I0 is the guide opening II whichextends vertically through the member 2 from its top face L2 to thebottom face I3 of theprojection 6. The dowel ID is preferably'hollow l4and suitable to receive the coil spring Hi, the bottom end l6 of whichpresses against the 'bottomclosed end I! of the dowel which is taperedor curved on the exterior at its lower end; the top end 113 of thespring l5 presses against thebottomjface I9 of th heel ,l forcing theldowel downwardly through the opening I] into the conforming recess 20in the member '3. The lower and ill. of the dowel i0 is preferablytapered or round d so that its periphery is above its extremerpoint 1i.vpermitting an operatorlt.v such asa'bobby pin, hair pin, or similarsmall instrumentality to engage the dowel and force it, against thecompression of the spring, to be raised vertically out of the recess 20.7

To penmit the operator 22 to engage the dowel I0, I have provided agroove 23 which is positioned in and below the face 24 of the recess 4and extending from front to back from the front side 3 to th recess 20and beyond to its end 25, thereby providing a portion 26 of said groove23 back of said dowel into which the end 21 of the operator 22 may enterbeyond the dowel ID. The portion 26 of the groove permits dirt or otherobstacles in the groove to be forced by the oper-' ator on beyond thedowel, enabling the operator to lift the dowel after my device has beenin use for long periods of time. I The number 3 may be provided with thecover adowel 30 in shown having a shoulder 3| on which the end l6 of thespring'may rest. H

The modification shown in Fig. 12 shows a fixed member 32 having anextension 33 above the top face 34 which may project upwardly into arecess (not shown) in the heel of the shoe which may serve'as a dovvelor anchor for the fixed member.

Attention is called to the construction of the bottom end of the dowelIll or 30. The tapered or curved part of the end of the dowel does notextend above the bottom face I3 of the projection 6 of 2 or the adjacenttap face M in the recess 4, the straight part of the dowel extends belowboth faces l3 and 24, thus the dowel secures the members 2 and 3 frommovement unless the dowel is lifted. The dowel is not a detent. It mustbe raised'by the operator which engages the curved or tapered end andthus wedges the dowel to move upwardly because of its tapered or curvedend. I

The groove 23 is in the member 3 and removes with it Where it is exposedandjeasily' cleaned. It maybe partly filled with wax 35 at its front endto prevent dirt from entering ,'yet permitting the Operator to force thewax into the portion 26 of the groove when lifting the dowel to removethe member 3.

' The means used to secure the member. 2 to the heel or the cover 28 tothe member 3, when such cover is used, may be by screws, nails, cement,or

any other means best suited, to permanently attach these parts and this,as well as'some of the other details shown, are not a part of'myinvention which is set forth in the claims to follow and for which Idesire to secure Letters Patent. I claim:

I 1.111 a detachable lift for the heels of shoes having a member securedto the heel anda grooved replaceable member detachably secured theretoand locking means comprising a spring pressed dowel releasable to permitthe removal of one member from the other, said groove being adapted toreceive an operator insertable in said grooveto move said locking means.

presseddowel releasable to permit the removal of ne member from theother, said groove being adapted to receive an operator insertabletherein' to move said locking means and permitting said operator to beforced by and beyond said locking means. 7

3. In a detachable lift for the heels of shoes having a member securedto the heel and a grooved replaceable member detachably secured theretoand locking means releasable to permit the removal of one memberfrom'theother, said groove being adapted to receive an operatorinsertable in said groove to move said locking .means, said lockingmeans comprising a dowel with straight sides extending into saidreplaceable member.

4:.In a detachable lift for the heels of shoes having a member securedto the heel and a grooved replaceable member detachably secured theretoand locking means releasable to permit the removal of one member fromtheother, said groove being adapted to receive an operator insertable insaid groove to move said locking means, said locking means comprising adowel with straight sides extending'into said replace-'- able member,and the bottom end of said dowel formed to receive and wedge the dowelto move upwardly by engagement with said operator.

5. In a means for detaching and interchanging lifts for Shoe heels, afixed member and removable member, said fixed memberhaving a projectionand a dowel locking and preventing movement of said removable member,said removable member having a recess engaging said projection andsecuring both members together and a groove in the bottom of said recessand a second recess in the bottom of said recess to receive the end ofsaid dowel between the ends of said groove,,said

groove being adapted to receive an operator slidable, therein forengaging the lower end of .said dowel, forcing said dowel to be wedgedupwardly bypressure from said operator.

7. In a means for. detachingand interchanging lifts for shoe heels, afixed member and removable member, said fixed member having a projectionand a dowel locking and preventing movement of said removable member,said removable member having a recess engaging said projection andsecuring both members together and a groove in the bottom of said recessand a second recess in the bottom of said recess to receive the end ofsaid dowel between the ends of said groove, said groove being adapted toreceive an operator slid-v able therein for engaging the lower end ofsaid dowel and causing said dowel to be wedged upwardly by pressure fromsaid operator, and means in said removable member permitting saidoperator to be thrust beyond said'dowel.

8; In a means for detaching and interchanging lifts for shoe heels, afixed member and removable member, said fixed member having a projectionand a dowel locking and preventing movement of said removable membensaid removable membar-having a recess engaging said projection andsecuring both members together and a groove in 9. In a means fordetaching and interchanging lifts for shoe heels, a. fixed member andremovable member, said fixed member having a projection and a dowellocking and preventing movement of said removable member, said removablemember having a recess engaging said projection and securing bothmembers together and a groove in the bottom of said recess and a secondrecess in the bottom of said recess to receive the end of said dowelbetween the ends of said groove, said groove being adapted to receive anoperator slidable therein for engaging the lower end of said dowel andcausing said dowel to be wedged upwardly by pressure from said operator,said groove being open at its front end and accessible to said operator,and a portion of said groove being beyond said dowel to receive dirt andthe end of said operator.

10. A removable lift for shoe heels having a fixed member and aprojection and dowel, a member having a recess which engages saidprojection to detachably hold the lift to the heel, said 'removablemember having a groove and a recess engaging said dowel whereby saiddowel is raised in said recess to permit the removal of the lift.

11. A removable lift for shoe heels having a fixed member and aprojection and dowel, a memher having a recess which engages saidprojection to detachably hold the lift to the heel, said removablemember having a groove and a recess engaging said dowel whereby saiddowel is raised in said recess to permit the removal of the lift, meansclosing the open end of said groove.

12. A removable lift for shoe heels having a fixed member and aprojection and dowel, a member having a recess which engages saidprojection to detachably hold the lift to the heel, said removablemember having a groove and a recess engaging said dowel whereby saiddowel is raised in said recess to permit the removal of the lift, meansclosing the open end of said groove, said groove being adapted toreceive an operator to force said closing means before it along saidgroove.

13. A removable lift for shoe heels having a fixed member and aprojection and dowel, a member having a recess which engages saidprojection to detachably hold the lift to the heel, said removablemember having a groove and a recess engaging said dowel whereby saiddowel is raised in said recess to permit the removal of the lift, meansclosing the open end of said groove, said groove being adapted toreceive an operator to force said closing means before it along saidgroove, said groove having a portion beyond said dowel to receive saidclosing means.

14. A removable lift for shoe heels having a fixed member and aprojection and dowel, a member having a recess which engages saidprojection to detachably hold the lift to the heel, said removablemember having a groove and a recess engaging said dowel whereby saiddowel is raised in said recess to permit the removal of the lift, meansclosing the open end of said groove, said dowel being disposed betweenthe ends of said groove to permit said closing means to be forced beyondsaid dowel.

BENJAMIN H. WALKER.

